Tom’s Throwback Thursday — Eyeball Dissection
This week, our Throwback Thursday is something you can try at home if you’re feeling bold: eyeball dissection! 👀👀👀
Does anyone else get a little bit weirded out when you think too hard about what you’re made of? Like, we’re all made of bones and stringy bits, full of mysterious liquids and whatever a gall bladder is.
One of the reasons I love dissection at We The Curious is that we don’t shy away from the mysterious gooey bits. Instead, we want to help people understand that it’s ok that we’re funny creatures made of skin and kidneys and intraocular fluid. In fact, that’s nothing to be grossed out about at all; kidneys are pretty cool and eyeballs? Eyeballs are downright amazing!
I chose this video this week because:
- Eyes are super interesting and not at all weird (ok maybe a little bit weird)
- For anyone missing out on live science demos at school at the moment, dissection videos online can be a great way to experience something a bit more ‘real’ than reading about the body.
- I’ve been staring at my computer screen waaaaaay more than usual and I don’t know whether I should be worried about my own eyes. (I should probably go for a run or something 😕)
- You can absolutely try this at home. Order some dissection materials online and follow along with the video!
Yes, this video does contain a dissection of a real horse eyeball. It’s ok to be a bit squeemish about it but we think it’s really worth watching. At We The Curious, we do dissection of some kind with all ages and believe it has value for kids and adults.
All of the animal parts that we use for dissection are by-products of the meat industry. No animals are harmed to create these videos.
Looking to incorporate this into a home lesson? Education Manager Mark is on furlough so it’s down to me to share some curriculum links and ideas. 👇
Key Stage 1
- identify, name, draw and label the basic parts of the human body and say which part of the body is associated with each sense
Key Stage 2
- recognise that they need light in order to see things and that dark is the absence of light
- identify that humans and some other animals have skeletons and muscles for support, protection and movement
- use the idea that light travels in straight lines to explain that objects are seen because they give out or reflect light into the eye
- explain that we see things because light travels from light sources to our eyes or from light sources to objects and then to our eyes
- identify how animals and plants are adapted to suit their environment in different ways and that adaptation may lead to evolution
Key Stage 3
- cells as the fundamental unit of living organisms, including how to observe, interpret and record cell structure using a light microscope
- the hierarchical organisation of multicellular organisms: from cells to tissues to organs to systems to organisms
- differences between species
Key Stage 4
- life processes depend on molecules whose structure is related to their function
- the fundamental units of living organisms are cells, which may be part of highly adapted structures including tissues, organs and organ systems, enabling life processes to be performed more effectively
- principles of nervous coordination and control in humans
- the relationship between the structure and function of the human nervous system
Activities:
Quick— Draw a picture of an eye or make a model out of things you have around the house. Can you label any different parts?
In Depth — Think of some animals that live in different environments. How do you think their eyes are adapted to cope? Make some predictions and then find out the answers online.
Super Keen— Order some eyes online, follow along with Ross’ video and try it yourself at home! Seriously. Do it.
